A State of Maine: Day 1

This place is magical. I am officially on my “retreat”. My accommodations for the next few days are “yuppie rustic”. Yuppie perhaps only because I have access to wifi & electricity. Rustic as I have to hike across the grass to the wooden outhouse if a bowel need arises. Fun fact; The outhouse is next to the chicken coop.

the outhouse

My bed is in an enclosed screen porch room separate from the living room/kitchen cabin portion. My wonderful host (crazy enough, this is through air bnb. She lives in the farm house next to me) told me that the small heating unit was broken (the repairman will be here tomorrow) and tonight’s temperature low will be in the 30s. Upside: there is an electric blanket.

I have begun to notice the ways I distract myself from just being still.

1. phone ( I don’t like being more than 5 feet from it).

2. writing (sanctioned activity #1)

3. food

4. internet (what is happening on Facebook!!!??)

books ( sanctioned activity #2)

hiking (sanctioned activity #3)

Shortly after my arrival, I hiked down the road and through the woods to Passamaquoddy Bay. If that name seems familiar it was featured in “Pete’s Dragon” and as I have major nostalgia for that Disney classic, I have renamed the forest around it “Pete’s Dragon forest” (I’m that clever). It was gorgeous and untouched by developers (I think the land around it may be protected by the feds…I suppose sometimes they do the right thing). Thankfully I had my iphone with me to take photos as I temporarily lost my way back to the main road (I had to use my phone’s GPS). I’m sure I could have found it sans technology but I feared being lost in moose & bear territory… in the dark and didn’t want the tabloids to discuss how my death could have been prevented had I just used a bit of technology (yes…my mind does think that way). Tip for myself: do not hike in your vans…use your hiking shoes.

Tomorrow is my 1 year Jewnniversary. Hopefully it will be less windy so I can celebrate (with several glasses of wine & jiffypop) around the campfire.